Self-reported psychological distress and its relationship with religiousness of Nigerian physicians: A multicenter study

Physicians are prone to psychological distress, and this has been poorly studied in association with religiousness. As a result, the prevalence of psychological distress among physicians and its relationship with religiousness was investigated. The study was conducted at two neuropsychiatric centers, and two teaching hospitals in the South-South and South-West regions of Nigeria. Demographics and practice-related characteristics of 231 physicians were collected in addition to report on psychological distress using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, and a religiousness measuring scale, Ironson–Woods Spirituality/Religiosity Index. Chi-square and t-test analyses were done using SPSS version 19. The prevalence rate of significant psychological distress among physicians was 19.05%. The physicians’ specialty of practice fell short of statistically significant association with religiousness (X2=9.02, p=0.06). There was no significant association between physicians’ state of health and religiousness. Psychological distress is fairly common among physicians and shows no relationship with religiousness

Post-traumatic stress disorder among the staff of a mental health hospital: Prevalence and risk factors

Background: Mental health service providers are frequently exposed to stress and violence in the line of duty. There is a dearth of data concerning the psychological sequelae of the frequent exposure to stress and violence, especially among those who work in resource-limited countries such as Botswana. Aim: To determine the prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among mental health workers in a tertiary mental health institute in Botswana. Setting: The study was conducted in Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital, which is the only referral psychiatric hospital in Botswana. Methods: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. A total of 201 mental health workers completed a researcher-designed psycho-socio-demographic questionnaire, which included one neuroticism item of the Big Five Inventory, and a PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), which was used to assess symptoms of PTSD. Results: Majority of the study participants were general nurses (n = 121, 60.5%) and females (n = 122, 60.7%). Thirty-seven (18.4%) of the participants met the criteria for PTSD. Exposure to violence in the past 12 months (AOR = 3.26; 95% CI: 1.49–7.16) and high neuroticism score (AOR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.19–6.24) were significantly associated with the diagnosis of PTSD among the participants. Conclusion: Post-traumatic stress disorder could result from stressful events encountered in the course of managing patients in mental health institutes and departments. Pre-placement personality evaluation of health workers to be assigned to work in psychiatric units and post-incident trauma counselling of those exposed to violence may be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of PTSD in mental hospital health care workers

Correlates of psychoactive substance use among Nigerian adolescents

Context: The abuse of psychoactive substances which is one of the most important global public health problems begins in adolescence. Adolescents usually start by abusing the gateway substances. They suffer social, economic, physical, and legal consequences on account of use of substances, and this is very worrisome because of the increasing prevalence of use. Aims: The aim was to identify the characteristics of adolescents that use gateway substances. This knowledge shall be utilized in preventive programs. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study with secondary school adolescents as participants. Subjects and Methods: Multistage sampling technique was used to select 492 respondents and the questionnaire consisted of characteristics of the adolescents, their families and schools and the alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and stimulant use sections of the World Health Organisation questionnaire for student drug use surveys. Statistical Analysis Used: The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, and Chi-square statistics was used. Results: Having a friend who uses substance was significantly associated with tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and caffeine use while being a male, having a family member that uses substance were significantly associated with tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine use. Older age, lack of satisfaction with the relationship with the teacher and polygamous family background were significantly associated with tobacco use. And finally, lack of satisfaction with the relationship with parents/guardians and having parents or guardians who are not religious were significantly associated with alcohol use. Conclusion: A comprehensive approach is needed to prevent the use of substances; this should target individuals, schools, families, and religious institutions

Body image among secondary school boys and girls in south-west Nigeria: the role of neuroticism and self-esteem

Objectives: Studies on body image in adolescent girls abound, but there are fewer on adolescent boys. This study examined gender differences in body image, and its relationship with neuroticism and self-esteem, separately by gender in secondary school students.Methods: Data regarding body surveillance, body shame and appearance control belief of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, in addition to neuroticism, and self-esteem were collected from 270 respondents. Analysis was done in group of gender, and differences in the scores were compared.Results: The females reported significantly higher level of body surveillance than the males (t=-2.27, p=0.02). Self-esteem was a predictor of body surveillance in males (B=-0.16, p=0.02), and body shame in females (B=-0.20, p=0.00).Conclusions: Some gender variation exists in body image objectification and its predictors. Self-esteem plays significant roles, albeit different predictive influences, in body image objectification of both genders.Keywords: Self-esteem, neuroticism, body image, body shame, body surveillance, Nigeri

A validational study of the Ironson–Woods Spirituality/ Religiousness Index in Nigerian adolescents

Background: The mental health impact of spirituality/religiousness is widely recognised and studied in Western countries, but less so in developing nations, partly because of lack of valid instruments for such studies.Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the convergent validity of the Ironson–Woods Spirituality/Religiousness Index (IWSRI) in school attending Nigerian adolescents, and any relationship between spirituality/religiousness and mental health status.Methods: The 25-item IWSRI, the “Age Universal” Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were administered to 300 randomly selected final year senior secondary students, aged 16 to 19 years, in Benin City. Responses were analysed using SPSS version 16 to determine the internal consistency for reliability, and correlation scores for convergent validity, of the IWSRI.Results: Cronbach’s alpha for the total IWSRI scale was 0.91; and for each of the two spirituality and two religiousness subscales of the IWSRI, these were quite high as well. The correlation of IWSRI with ROS intrinsic (r = 0.47, p = 0.00) and extrinsic personal religiosity (r = 0.22, p = 0.00) were significant. There was a significant difference in the IWSRI mean scores of GHQ cases and non-cases (t = 4.30, p = 0.00).Conclusion: IWSRI has acceptable psychometric properties, and therefore applicable in measuring spirituality and religiousness in Nigerian adolescents

Physical violence against health staff by mentally ill patients at a psychiatric hospital in Botswana

Abstract Background Workplace violence is worrisome in the mental health sector. Little is understood about it in sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, we decided to investigate the prevalence, related factors, and the available sources of support for the victims of workplace violence in a mental referral hospital in Botswana. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective survey of 201 mental health staff (MHS) of Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital, Botswana. We used a self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on socio-demographics and various aspects of work-related violence and available source of supports. We also used Andrew and Withey Job Satisfaction Questionnaire to assess the workers’ level of job satisfaction. Results One hundred and seventy-nine questionnaires out of the two hundred and one returned were analyzed. One hundred and twenty-five (69.8%) of the respondents reported a lifetime experience of physical violence, while 44.1% experienced the same during the previous 12 months. Nursing services (χ2 = 29.95, p < 0.01) and long duration of service (χ2 = 29.95, p < 0.01) were associated with lifetime encounter of physical violence. Those who reported a physical assault had a higher level of job dissatisfaction than staff who never experienced violence (t = − 3.07, p = 0.02). Conclusions The rate of physical violence among mental health workers in Botswana is comparably high, and nurses are the most exposed members of staff. Protocol development and periodic training on violence prevention are hence recommended, especially for the most exposed members of staff